The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-08-11
SICK AND SAD.
Thomas Voolfolk Suffering With a
Severe Cold.


during the night. He talked to himself, but
what he SAID none Of them could catch.
Evidently he is badly worried. He has
grown suen and FESTIVE.
1t remained for a representative of the
Constitution to entice Voolfolk into the
perils of an interview. But he was com
PEELED to resort TO little deception in order
to draw the reticent prisoner.
"Are you reporter asked Voolfolk, as
the interviewer poked his head through the
half opened door and looked through the
bars into the cell.
ooh, no; am lawyer" ..
This appeared to remove some of the re-
straint which held the culprit and he pro-
ceeded to talk freely. He would answer
any question on any other subject than the
killing.
Said he: "Don't ask me any questions
about that l have been trying to brush all
thought of it off my mind. Some of my
former Bib county friends-I don't know
that have any friends now-have sent me
word that they wished to see me, but sent
back word that | didn't want to see them.
The reason of this is that don't want to be
drawn into talking about the particulars of
the affair 1t can't do me any good and
might hurt my case.
''You will be able to pay lawyer well,
will youZ'
mo doubt of that. The property that
will come into is valuable. Let me see,
Father had a good sum of money in the
bank. He owned considerable property in
his own right. And then made over some
$4,000 on my stepmother-his wife-and
shortly failed. think that when get the
property | will be worth in the neighbor
hood of $4,000"
"Well, are you certain of getting this
propertyE
Eyes, otherwise, that is to say l will get
it, | suppose. Oh, yes, of course. Why
notN
81 am told" continued the reporter, ''by
some of the ablest lawyers in Atlanta that
even if you are innocent of the fearful crime
laid to your charge that you will not be en-
titled to one dollar in this estate"
''Is that so." asked the prisoner in weak
voice, as his chin dropped half an inch.
Eyes, it is, Voolfolk" was the reply.
81 amt a lawyer said the man behind
the bars, but | think l ought to have it,
don't you"
80 you see that after killing your whole
family to get this inheritance the law will
not let you have il"
81 didn't do it," exclaimed Voolfolk, his
eyes glistening with pent-up rage Il am
just as innocent as You are. If the Sheriff
would come and open this door and say:
Here, Voolfolk, you're free man; go out
into the street." | wouldn't do it. | would
stay right here. / know | will get justice
some time If don't get it in this world |
will get it in the next,
Saving which he angrily turned from the
reporter and went back to his stool in the
rear OF the cell
WILL HE INHERIT!
In accounting for the horrible crime,
those people who believe Tom w Voolfolk the
guilty party declare there must have been
some motive that prompted him to do the
deed, and it is freely declared that the es-
tate was the object he had in view. Wool
folk has by his expressions at various times
since the murder in talking about the mat
ter given force to the belief, for he seems to
go out of his way, as it were to mention the
estate and its probable worth.
If he was the murderer, did he make his
cuatious correctly, and will he get the prop
rrty if he escapes the gallows. 1t is said
that sometime ago the plantation of Richard
Voolfolk was sold at Sheriffs sale for taxes,
and was bought in by Ben. Howard, Mrs
Woolfolk's father, and subsequently decided
to her and her children by Mr.. Howard. If
this be true, Voolfolk has no prospect on
earth of getting share of the estate; for
when the place was sold at Sheriff sale, the
title left the Voolfolk family and was vested
in the Howard family. The deed by which
Mrs Voolfolk received the place came from
n Howard, and if by her death, her hus-
direct heirs, the property goes back to Mr..
Howard, the grandfather and original
holder before Mrs. Voolfolk.
If it could be shown that Mr.. Richard
Voolfolk, the father of Tom, was the last
| one killed. it might appear that he was the
natural heir of his wife and children by that
wife, and dying last, the title being in him
! for brief moment, the estate would then
| go by the laws of inheritance to his chill
dren living, namely, Tom Voolfolk and sis
| tiers. But everything goes to show that
Richard Voolfolk died before either his
wife or her children, and thus the prospect
of Tom inheliting through his father is bad.
A gentlemen suggested last night that the
| place and $50 acres of land had been set
aside as homestead for the wife and minor
children. The homestead lasted as long as
| the wife or any of the minor children lived
| 1t would have terminated the moment of
| the majority of the children and the death
| of the mother, or it would have terminated
at the death of all, as it did do, provided
| there was a homestead set apart.
| Now the homestead must revert in such a
case to some one, and as a matter of course
would go to Richard Woofolk's estate, to be
subject to his debts, etc. If after admins
tration there was anything left, Tom Wool
fold would come in perhaps for a share
But it seems from the most reliable sources
| that the circumstances attached to the
|
Voolfolk and children by Ben Howard, her
| father, and as a matter of course her death
that of her husband and children would
cause the estate to return to Mr.. Howard
Richard Woo.folk's personal property,
money in bank, etc, is subject to his debts
| befC~S any inheritance can be paid. Tom
| Woolfolk's inheritance from that source
may be great or small, as the amount is
great or small, and as the debts are few or
| many.
| A Macon correspondent called on Wool
folks wife Tuesday. She said: ''In the first
| place. Tom Voolfolk fooled me- He said
| he had place ready for me and everything
to make a wife comfortable. Thought from
my knowledge of the family that he was
telling the truth / went to live with Mrs.
| Edwards his sister, in Macon. Three days
afterward found that he had no place TO
carry me TO. After two weeks, during
which time Mr.. Voolfolk did moth
| ing, | began to find out his true
nature He then began to mistreat me,
and he frequently told me that would not
like his parents. Finally, during the third
week his parents visited U.S. Tom Wool
| folk was absent and they met me very pleas
autiy and received me as a daughter.
| After he came back | told him what nice
people they were and he said, Wait till you
see more of them and began cursing and
said, The property shall not do them any
| good, will burn them up first
After that he threatened them, and fire.